The Rogers Sportsnet broadcast studio.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
Rogers Communications Inc. RCI-B-T chief executive Tony Staffieri has made one thing clear over the past year: He is all-in on sports. With a deal already in place to become the majority owner of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, he wanted to complement the purchase with a renewal of its television contract with the National Hockey League.
Rogers has held the national TV rights to NHL games in Canada since 2014, and with that contract set to expire at the end of next season, it was looking like Rogers would get its wish. Unlike last time, the company didn’t have to fend off archrival BCE Inc., the owner of TSN. This go-around Rogers…